Travel Agent Professional May 2011

Travel AgentProfessional

May 2011Issue 7

4 Guest Editorial –By Lee Rosen

8 Clients for LifeBy Mitchell J. Schlesinger

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Travel Agent Professional TAP

2011

Ad In

dex

64 Guest Editorial — Exploit Your (Technology) AdvantagesBy Lee Rosen

President, Leisure Pop

66 Living the DreamBy Sherry Laskin

Travel Writer, Blogger & Social Media Advisor

12 Clients for Life: By Mitchell J. Schlesinger

Vice President, Sales & Marketing Voyages to Antiquity

16 We Are Like... A Fiddler on the Roof!By Scott Koepf

Vice President of Sales Avoya Travel/America’s Vacation Center

20 Host Listing

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Joel was a friend to all travel agents. He really put cruises on the map foragents in terms of education, knowledge and motivation. His CRUISE-A-THONs are the best shows in the business and so much of it was because ofhis passion for cruise vacat ions and for agents — and that passion wascontagious. Travel agents picked up on it immediately and the result was thatthey sold more cruises. Joel was first to get behind the Home Based agentand cruise-only agent and embrace them. He put them on the map aslegitimate sellers of travel. He definitely will be missed.

— Vicki FreedReprinted from Jan. 29, 2007 TTN with writer permission

Travel AgentProfessional

May 2011 Issue 7

May 2011

Travel Agent Professional has its roots in Home Based Trade, the firstmagazine of its kind, started by Joel Abels in 2004. Joel and Lenore Abelsran Travel Trade for nearly half a century – it was started by her grandfa-ther, John S. Lewis, and her father, Sidney Lewis, in 1929, and they took thepublication over after her grandfather’s passing.

Under Joel’s direction, the company grew to be one of the travel agentindustry’s leading publications, reaching more than 45,000 agents throughoutNorth America. It spawned a famous series of trade shows and threemonthly magazines – Cruise Trade, Tour Trade and Home Based Trade.

The Abels also garnered enormous respect – Joel received the NealAward, called “the Pulitzer Prize of the business press,” for his hard-hittingeditorials.

On a personal note, after working with Joel for over a decade and stayingwith him until the end, I grew to truly care for and respect the man. He waslike a second father to me. Joel was old school, he stood by his word andbelieved in his work. There will never be another.

While nobody can replace this industry legend, we’re hoping that this newpublication, which reunites the original Home Based Trade editorial board,will be able to carry on his passion for travel and those who sell it.

Ann M. Hoek

Travel Agent ProfessionalP.O. Box 120202

Staten Island, NY 10312E-mail:

[email protected]:

718.227.7541

Ann M. HoekPublisher/Creative Design

Bonnie WallingEditor

Meet Our Editorial BoardMitchell J. Schlesinger

Vice President, Sales & MarketingVoyages to Antiquity

www.voyagestoantiquity.com

Mary BrutscherFormer Host Agency Owner & Travel Educational [email protected]

Rusty Pickett, ECCShellback Cruises

www.shellbackcruises.com

Les-Lee RolandOwner of The Package Deal

Scott KoepfVice President of Sales

Avoya Travel/America’s Vacation Center

www.joinavoya.com/default.cfm?ref=11583

Sherry Laskin, ACCTravel Writer, Blogger &

Social Media Advisorwww.sherrylaskin.com

ContributionsLee Rosen, CEO

Leisure Popswww.leisurepops.com

This online magazine is dedicated to the memory of Joel Abels, Travel Trade's editor and publisher. Joel and his life's work may be

gone, but with your help it can live on.

Joel M. Abels Legend In the Travel Industry

April 1927 to January 2007

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TODAY

Intuition tells us that the largerthe agency, the more resources

and hence, the “better”technology.

Yet your intuition is wrong onthis one. Today’s “regular”leisure agent has better

technology than the megas.

May 2011


4 Guest Editorial —

Exploit Your (Technology)

Advantages

Huh? This last statement is counter-intuitive. EVERYONE

knows that the big agencies have all the advantages

including resources. EVERYONE knows that the

poor, small agent today can hardly compete in

today’s environment. Since big agencies can amor-

tize costs over larger numbers (more agents, more

sales transactions, more clients), their cost per

whatever comes out to be much lower. Therefore,

they can afford more “state-of-the-art or “whiz-

bang” or “latest-greatest,” or whatever-else-you-

want-to call-it technology.

But my statement is true. The independent or small

agent has the option and ability to have superior

technology than even the biggest agencies, and to

do so at very reasonable prices. Here is why:

First, some of the big agencies automated parts of

their business a long time ago. And once you get

your business woven into a technology solution, it

is really hard to unwind and move to a new (and

better) solution. So many of these large businesses

chug along with really old, dated technology simply

because changing is so challenging for them.

(Parallel story: World War II forced Japan to rebuild

Lee RosenPresident, Leisure Popswww.leisurepops.com

Travel Agent Professional

their steel manufacturing facilities. And they did so

with newer, better technology. That led to a dis-

tinct advantage over the US. So we won the war,

but fell behind in steel manufacturing abilities!)

The even bigger reason small or independent agents

can easily have better technology than the megas is

the nature of technology today. Whether buying

one PC or 100, the price is very close and the com-

puter exactly the same. And fact is today we all have

PCs so equipment is no longer a challenge.

Internet connections? Today, they are fast and

cheap — and again, we already use the Internet

daily in our regular routines. Other costs, like long

distance phone charges or office overhead, are also

gone or minimized.

And the Web sites we visit every day, reservation

systems we use, content we research, and commu-

nications we send all have exactly the same poten-

tial for independent agents as they do for mega

agencies. Web sites are not “Agent Bigots” — they

do not look one way for mega agencies and anoth-

er for smaller agents. They provide abilities for

those that choose to use them.

Even if you need some help with the PowerPoint

or Word file, and getting pictures from your

IPhone attached to an E-mail, there is always some-

one reasonably close by that you can just ask —

especially if you have a kid under 15!

Want real world examples? Web sites for agents

are readily available for $25 per month. Sure glad I

am not a mega agency that spent tens (or hun-

dreds) of thousands to have what is now outdated

technology.

Want a database or CRM tool? The industry stan-

dard costs agents $25 per month - complete with all

the features, functions, and integration that megas get.

Marketing content? Promotional pieces? E-mail

sending technology? Industry standard promotion-

al databases are available free of charge to agents

— whether independent or mega. And most sup-

pliers will gladly help you with their content —

some even sending it for you on your behalf —

regardless if you are part of a mega agencies or an

independent agent.

Want merchandising with your preferred suppliers’

promotions when you can best use it? That’s usual-

ly $10, and if you are part of any of a number of

groups you can get it for free with Leisure Pops!

Agents’ availability for the best reservation and

information systems? Again, free of charge.

Yes, in a way, things are upside down when it comes

to technology and travel agents. The “little guys,” or

independent agents, have the opportunity to benefit

from their technology advantages. Now, you just

need to take advantage of those opportunities.

Use those Web sites, employ your merchandising sys-

tem, use communication and marketing tools, com-

municate, and exploit your (technology) advantages!

Thanks for reading.Lee

5

May 2011

A few years ago, I was a travel

manager at the local branch of a national travel

association. I brought with me sixteen years of

agency ownership/sales experience plus first-hand

cruise and destination product knowledge.

This was a very busy travel agency and two of my

four agents sold close to a million dollars in travel

sales per year for many consecutive years. Cruise

sales, of course, were a component of their pro-

duction but not nearly as large as the FIT and

escorted tours sales.

When a potential cruise passenger sat down at an

agent’s desk, immediately the brochure took cen-

ter stage. Questions were asked of the agent, who

would flip through the brochure in hurried search

of the right answer…or at least something close

to right.

Eventually the potential cruise passenger left the

office clutching a stack of glossy brochures, proba-

bly headed to another travel agency to get

answers. When I asked my agent why that person

didn’t book their cruise, the reply was usually,

“They need to look through the brochures.”

After observing this for several weeks, it suddenly

dawned on me. These agents were trying to sell

cruises and truly the entire cruise experience

without ever having cruised! Okay, maybe once or

twice many years ago. Not in the last few years

had they set foot aboard a cruise ship. All their

cruise advice was based on hearsay, TV commer-

cials and post-cruise comments from clients. They

could offer neither accurate, objective nor even

subjective information on a consistent basis.

Cruise sales suffered.

This ongoing situation echoed my own travel

agent mantra: See it, Sail it, Sell it.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if every travel agent

could experience a variety of cruise ships, hotels

and resorts around the globe? Think of the over-

whelming level of excitement that the potential

cruise passenger would feel in just a few minutes

of sitting with their agent. Without initially whip-

ping out the overused brochure, the well-traveled

agent could paint a picture of their client’s vaca-

tion with the expressiveness of Michelangelo. Yes,

6

Sherry LaskinTravel Writer, Blogger & Social Media Advisor

www.sherrylaskin.com

Living the Dream

By

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(continued on page 8)

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Auto Europe has expandedtheir chauffeur services and nowoffers Transfers, Executive andPremium Chauffeur Drive ser-vices in over 38 Countries. Inaddition to servicing countriesthroughout Europe, ChauffeurServices are now available inSouth America including,Argentina, Brazil, Chile andMexico. East Asia is also coveredin China, Hong Kong, Japan,Singapore, South Korea, Taiwanand Thailand. Locations in theCaribbean include Bahamas,Cayman Islands, Barbados,Bermuda and Jamaica. Servicesare also available in Australiaand South Africa.

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8

May 2011

it would still be a subjective point of view, but at

least it is first-hand knowledge and advice.

Unfortunately, not every Home Based agent can

take the time away to hop on and off of ships or

check into and out of resorts. We (yes I am one,

too) work alone, often late into the night and usu-

ally have no backup support to help us out when

we are on a trip.

But with careful planning, skillful budgeting and the

ability to “take the show on the road,” travel

agents can experience nearly every cruise line,

tour operator, hotel and resort around the world.

It’s really a matter of priorities and needs. Your

priority is to provide your current and potential

clients with the best and most accurate replies to

their travel inquiries. In order to do so, you need

to get out and experience what you sell.

Let’s tackle the first obstacle; finding the time. Of

course, I’m not advocating that you should aban-

don your family and responsibilities and take to

the wild beyond. Find the time, whether you have

to use your family’s yearly vacation as your work-

ing holiday or take a long weekend by yourself.

There is a way to allocate “away” time, if you real-

ly want to do it.

Sometimes, finding the funds to take to the seas

or soak up the luxury of an all-inclusive resort

can be a challenge. Take advantage of fam trips

either through your host agency, consortium or

through travel agent organizations like NACTA.

While not free, the prices can be so incredible

that it’s more costly not to go, in terms of experi-

ence, knowledge gained and future sales.

Save money by updating your mobile phone plans

each time you leave on an international trip. Buy

an unlocked phone in the U.S. ($59 at

BestBuy.com.) Then simply buy a new SIM card for

10 Euro in each European country that you visit.

Let your sales reps know that you are serious

about selling their product. Sometimes they have

their own travel agent fam opportunities at great-

ly reduced rates. Be sure to follow through on(continued on page 10 )

www.Cruisingpower.com

10

May 2011

your promise to actively promote their products

upon your return. Let them know of the sales you

create as a result going on their fam. Take online

hotel classes or cruise classes and complete their

requirements for “graduation.” Often this will

enable you to stay at their properties or cruise

aboard their ships for free or almost free.

Now you’ve solved the problem to find the time

and budget the costs. That leaves the obvious

dilemma of how to take your office with you.

Netbooks are nice, but difficult for much more

than E-mail. Bring your laptop and spend a couple

of days before your trip to make sure that the

programs you regularly use on your desktop are

also working on your laptop.

Get a online Dropbox account (dropbox.com)

and set up the same files on your two computers.

Copy any frequently used Excel files or important

documents into Dropbox so you can easily access

them from the road. Skype and a good headset is,

of course, a no-brainer. I can’t tell you how many

times I’ve called a client while I’m on a ship in the

middle of the ocean. Most times they don’t even

know I’m away. That’s one reason why I don’t

leave an away phone message (and for security

reasons, too.) I do, however, leave an absence alert

on my email auto-responder, in case Wifi is not

readily available.

I also pack my current files for clients whose trav-

el plans will need attention while I’m away. When

I’m not in the room, I keep all client files locked in

the safe. My pull-along bag is my mobile office,

equipped with miniature office supplies, mobile

phone equipment and my laptop. I’ve labeled

small, clear plastic bags with office contents to try

to keep all the accessories and components for

electronics neat, organized and accounted for

when packing up to head home.

And take your camera, too. The best sales tools

you can use are first-hand experiences, thought-

fully-taken travel photographs and a working

knowledge of as many travel products as you

can absorb.

Now that you know it is possible and an absolute

necessity to experience what you sell, go forth

and prosper. Your clients will thank you for it.

Your life will be greatly enriched as a result of

traveling to all of the places that most people visit

only in their dreams.

Sherry Laskin is a travel writer, blogger and social media addict as it relates to business awareness and

sharing information. Founder of the Vacation Shoppe in 1992, she offers advice and creative ideas for mar-

keting and promotion for travel agents. Sherry is the webinar moderator and a Chapter Director at NACTA.

The best sales tools you can use are

first-hand experiences.‘ ’

Do you sell AIRLINE TICKETS?Are you a Storefront or Home-based Agency?

Your technology partner


www.myhosttravelagency.com

12

By

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May 2011

In truth, you cannot manage travel over time, without fulfilling the necessities of the first three (3)

elements above. For the purposes of completing the series, I will approach this final article with

the notion that this is the case. At this stage, because presumably you have a robust database

filled with personal and travel information for each client and have implemented an aggressive

customer service plan, you are in a position to focus on literally directing where and how your

clients travel.

In this role you are part financial advisor and golf caddy. Why? • Personal finances are critical to consumers (especially now!) and with the right relationship,

fully entrust the placement of these funds to financial advisors. Travel is the most frequent

high ticket expenditure consumers make, meaning they put their trust in you. The trust factor

is what enables clients to rationalize a sizable travel purchase, similar to a financial investment;

• Golf caddies are very much like travel sellers. Those with strong, long term relationships

make recommendations based on their player’s historical ability to hit specific shots with a

club the player is most comfortable using. Their job is to ultimately make suggestions the

player can select from. Sound at all familiar?

Clients for Life:

ManagingTravel

Over Time

Mitchell J. SchlesingerVice President, Sales & MarketingVoyages to [email protected]

The nicest car in the world will not run without four (4) fully

operating tires. Mastering the practice of “Clients for Life” requires

mastering the four elements covered in this series:

• A database with a complete profile (demographics and psycho-

graphics) of each client, their travel history and referrals;

• Understanding consumer behavior and managing the customer

relationship;

• Implementing a customer service plan including the 3 Rs (recogni-

tion, referrals and rewards);

• Managing travel over time.


sabre red

How do you stay ahead? It’s all about offering

great value, great service, capturing more

revenue and controlling costs. Sabre ® Red™

is your total travel solution to drive customer

loyalty and power business performance.

www.sabretravelnetwork.com

powering progress

Your oppor tunity is to guide your loyal c l ients

through the maze of travel alternatives because you:

• Have created a personal relationship with

them over a lengthy period of time as their

demographics and psychographics have

changed;

• Have learned to be a good listener;

• Understand their travel goals and aspirations,

at each “life stage”;

• Know exactly where they have been, how

much they have spent and…what’s next?;

• Know their travel “hot buttons” and how they

process them when making travel purchases;

• Put yourself in a position whereby they seek

your advice and counsel for travel alternatives

before making a final decision.

The critical aspect is to use all of what you have

learned above to literally manage what they buy over

the length of your relationship with them. And it is a

combination of what you can and should recommend

to them and what they tell you they are interested in

and ask for your opinion. In those cases, it is clearly up

to you (as the golf caddy) to present the right assess-

ments of the travel alternatives compared to previous

purchases so that they can make a choice that they

are comfortable with and can logically rationalize

after the purchase is made. And recommendations

should reflect their life stages:

• For couples traveling with their children, inter-

active travel experiences that the kids will talk

about for weeks after they return and only

want to know when they can go again.

• If they have a few extra days, an Alaska

cruise/tour is a more complete way to fully

experience the wildlife along with scenic beauty.

• Based on spending 10-14 days in Alaska, a 10-

14 day cruise in the Med, Europe or Baltic.

The length and cost are comparable to the

Alaska trip and allow them to rationalize the

purchase.

• As their psychographics change, specific desti-

nations will draw interest. For some destina-

tions, travel can be done in a sequence based

on whether desired sights are inland or along

the shore. Italy, for example, is a destination

best experienced by both a land tour and a

cruise.

• In their senior years, trips are longer as they

have more time. Recommending suppliers they

will feel comfortable with is very important.

Whether it is a national park tour or cruise to

an exotic destination, some suppliers simply

cater better to older guests than others.

The most important motivation for you to master

managing travel over time is the “Annuity Factor.”

It is a fact that as clients age, (especially over the

age of 55), the majority will have more time to

travel, more disposable income, all of which results

in higher priced transactions yielding substantially

greater commissions. And a stronger the base of

longtime loyal clientele enables you to more effi-

ciently generate new clients from referrals.

There is a significant opportunity for professional

sellers of travel who come to fully understand

how financially valuable their clients are in terms

of repeat travel and referrals. And it almost

impossible to underscore just how important

how the service provided by all of the agency’s

team members impacts client loyalty. Those

aggressively embracing this philosophy will be

rewarded with a dramatically stronger business

and Clients for Life.

May 2011


14

Luxury Travel Network Reveals Details for Annual Fall ConferenceThe luxury host agency announces their conference cruise program for Fall 2011

Coral Gables, FL — Luxury travel consultants within the Luxury TravelNetwork will be making waves with their business strategies this fall byattending the network’s third annual conference held onboard a five-night fall cruise on the Celebrity Millennium. The conference themed“Oceans of Opportunity” taking place on October 22, 2011 is the net-work’s premier educational and networking event of the year for theirhome-based luxury agents and will focus on exploring opportunities tohelp them streamline and grow their businesses.

“Our annual conference arms our agents with the tools and informa-tion they need to stay on top of the luxury travel industry as well asprovides training on everything from mastering our internal technolo-gy to learning the latest tools and techniques to sell travel throughsocial media,” explained Jody Ryland, vice president of the LuxuryTravel Network. “Every luxury agent that attends the conference ismaking a valuable investment in their business and they often returnto work feeling rejuvenated and motivated to further increase theirsales knowing our team is by their side every step of the way.”

During the conference, the luxury travel consultants will have theopportunity to learn, network and socialize with other luxury travelagents, industry experts, preferred vendors and the Luxury TravelNetwork management and support team. Seminars and workshopsoffered at the conference include:

• Getting the most out of the network’s powerful software tools —TravelConnect and Sabre Cruises

• Turning shared interests into group cruises through social media• Building your business through Virtuoso’s marketing tools• Hearing the latest product updates and pertinent sales informa-

tion from the 20+ luxury cruise and tour suppliers in attendance

Tom Baumann, president of Travel Leaders Leisure Group, reiterates theimportance for their Luxury Travel Network specialists to attend theannual conference. “It’s crucial for our agents to attend this conferenceeach year to gain as much knowledge as they possibly can from every-one around them and then put that knowledge to work for themselvesand their businesses. Travel agents need to be ‘all in’ to invest in theirfuture and success.”

Showcase

About Luxury Travel Network: The Luxury Travel Network hostagency program offers experiencedluxury agents an opportunity to sellhigh-end cruises and tours whileenjoying the benefits of belonging to apremium luxury agency. The LuxuryTravel Network program is affiliatedwith Cruise Specialists, and offersagents a Virtuoso connection, highcommissions, preferred rates andexclusive amenities for their clients.

About Travel Leaders Leisure Group:Travel Leaders Leisure Group servesworldwide travelers through distinctcompany-owned leisure travel brands.The Travel Leaders Leisure Group divi-sion includes All Aboard Travel, CruiseSpecialists®, CruiseDeals.com®, CruiseHolidays®, Elite Journeys, Luxury TravelNetwork, SinglesCruise.com® andcompany-owned Travel Leaders leisuretravel operations. Travel Leaders LeisureGroup is part of Travel Leaders GroupLLC (formerly Carlson Leisure Group).Travel Leaders Group LLC is transform-ing travel with a new name that boldlyembodies our commitment to our vaca-tion and business travel clients via aprogressive approach toward eachunique travel experience.

For more information on joining theLuxury Travel Network or learningmore about their upcoming conference, call 866-703-5244 or visit www.luxurytravelnetwork.com


By

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May 2011

Scott KoepfVice President of Sales

Avoya Travel/America’s Vacation Center

www.JoinAvoya.com

Of all of the characters I have had the opportunity

to play or for that matter even seen on stage, my favorite

remains Tevye from Fiddler on the Roof. His personality is

seemingly simple, yet complex and in the scope of a short musi-

cal, he grapples with intense emotions, from the greatest joy to

wrenching sadness.

The beloved musical itself is in many ways completely different

than standard musical fare. It is not the boy meets girl, boy loses

girl, boy finds girl again and lives happily ever after formula. The

genius of the script is that it actually is a sad ending, yet because

of the strength of the characters, the audience is left with posi-

tive feelings and an uplifted spirit. While I could write a disser-

tation on Tevye and the depth of his character, I want to instead

draw a parallel to the analogy that he uses and that is the title

of the show.

He compares his life and everyone in his village to being “fid-

dlers on the roof, trying to scratch out a tune while keeping

our balance.” That description seems to me to be the definition

of travel agents today. No one can question that a good travel

agent makes fabulous music! The dreams you help fulfill, the

service you provide, the counsel you give, all result in a beautiful

tune! But our job is not easy — and that is why the analogy is


We Are Like...

A Fiddler

on the Roof!

16

What is LeisurePops?Leisure Pops is a point-of-

sale, merchandizing software

application that runs on an

agent’s desktop and helps

travel agents to sell more

preferred suppliers, more

add-on products and more

upgrades.

Leisure Pops runs in the

background on an Agent's

desktop and then “Pops” or

reminds an agent via a pop

up message of opportunities

to better serve their client

— as well as make more

commissions.

Lee RosenPresident, Leisure Pops

Leisure Pops: A New Application from an Old Friend

For more information go to www.leisurepops.com

• Sell more preferred suppliers.

• Sell more add-on products.

• Earn more commissions.

• Better service your clients.

The Power of Pops

While I cannot say that word now without raising

my arms above my head, it is the meaning, not the

visual, that we need to learn from. Traditions are

in many ways foundations or habits that you carry

out on a regular basis that keep you steady. In the

retail travel business, we have become so enam-

ored with all the new things like social media,

product enhancements and such that we may have

forgotten our traditions. I am not saying social

media or anything else new should not be

embraced as it should. However, when we chase

anything new, I challenge you to not forget about

your traditions.

Traditions can be very high level concepts like

good customer service, strong product knowl-

edge and the power of one to one relationships.

But like the traditions that Tevye describes they

need to get the level of specific things you do and

say that you do not compromise. Things like:

so perfect! It is not just that you are trying to

scratch out a tune, but that you are up on roof!

Now remember, in Tevye’s village the roofs were

not well made, were very uneven and treacherous.

Staying alive up there was challenging enough, but

trying to make music?

Does this sound familiar? You are trying to make

beautiful music, but with the rapid changes in our

industry, the challenges of the economy and

increased competition, you have to ask the same

question Tevye posed: “So how do we keep our

balance?”

18

Answering the phone with enthusiasm;Making each email personal and compelling;

Having a written list of questions about the customer to ask;Scheduling your weekly training program;

Having a written follow up plan for all stages of the sales cycle.

The list goes on and on, but the problem is that most agents don’t have a list at all! Take the time and

document your traditions so that no matter what new and exciting things come our way in this busi-

ness, you won’t lose your balance because of your

Tradition!May 2011

“Tradition!”

Traditions are in many ways foundations or

habits that you carry out on a regular basis

that keep you steady. ‘ ’

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Ho

st

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ti

ng

Selected Host AgenciesAll Aboard Travel

12530 World Plaza Lane #1

Ft. Myers, FL 33907

(800) 741-1770 • (239) 274-9999

Fax: (239) 274-9988

E-mail: [email protected]

www.allaboardtravel.com

Amadeus North America, Inc.

9250 NW 36th Street

Miami, Florida 33178

(888) AMADEUS


www.amadeus.com

Amadeus North America’s Canadian

14 Duncan Street, Suite 301

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

M5H 3G8

(888) 611-5554

AuthorizedAgents

30230 Rancho Viejo Rd., Suite 110

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

(800) 684-3260


www.AuthorizedAgents.com

Avoya Travel/

America's Vacation Center

5201 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 900

Miami, FL 33126

(888) 426-6184


Agents: www.JoinAvoya.com

Consumers: www.AvoyaTravel.com

Brentwood Travel Service

1022 Executive Parkway

St. Louis, MO 63141

(800) 527-1059 • Fax: (314) 439-5757


www.brentwoodtravel.com

Coral Sands Travel

"America's Host Agency"

1975 SR 29 N, Suite 3814

LaBelle, FL 33935

(866) 481-4678 • Fax: (407) 479-3461


www.coralsandstravel.com

Corporate Travel Planners &

Rennert Travel

(An American Express Affiliate)

1919 NW Loop 410; Suite 200:

San Antonio, TX 78213

( 830) 964-2464E-mail: [email protected] Site:

www.ctptravelservices.comLeisure site:

www.rennerttravel.com

Corporate Travel/The Travel Center

West Coast:

1102 N. Brand Blvd. #50

Glendale, CA 91202

(818) 241-6746 • Fax: (201) 994-0652East Coast:

5 Jefferson Place

Moonachie, NJ 07074

(800) 870-9345 • Fax: (201) 994-0652E-mail: [email protected]

www.thetravelcenterusa.com

CruiseBrothers.com

950 Wellington Ave

Cranston, RI 02910

(401) 941-3999 x 721

(800) 827-7779 x 721E-mail: [email protected]

www.cruisebrothers.com

Cruises-N-More

610 Crescent Executive Court,

Suite 220

Lake Mary, FL 32746

(407) 771-4454 • Fax: (407) 771-00077

(800) 733-2048E-mail: [email protected]

www.cruises-n-more.com

Cruise Planners

3300 University Drive, Suite 602

Coral Springs, FL 33065

(888) 582-2150 • Fax: (954) 344-0875


www.betterthanahost.com

CruiseShipCenters Int'l Inc./

Just Cruises & Vacations

400-1055 West Hastings St.

Vancouver, BC V6E 2E9 Canada

(604) 685-1221 • Fax: (604) 685-1245

(866) 822-1000 E-mail: [email protected]

www.cruiseshipcenters.com

Design Travel Inc.

2168 Lake Shore Circle

Arlington Heights, IL 60004

Satellite Location:

Sheraton Chicago Northwest Hotel

(847) 577 7930 • Fax: (847) 577 7917


www.dtmgi.com

Incentive Connection Travel

13029 North Cave Creek Road

Phoenix, AZ 85022

(602) 867-9606 • Fax: (602) 867-9216


www.ictravel.com

Luxury Travel Network

2151 LeJeune Road Ste. 300

Coral Gables, FL 33134

(866) 703-5244


www.luxurytravelnetwork.com

Montrose Travel

2349 Honolulu Ave.

Montrose, CA 91020

(800) MONTROSE • (818) 553-3200

Fax: (626) 294-9109


Home Based Agent Program

www.join.mtravel.com

Company Web site

www.MontroseTravel.com

Nexion®

6225 N. State Hwy 161, Suite 450

Irving, TX 75038

(800) 747-6813


www.nexion.com

OASIS

4800 Federal Hwy

Boca Raton, FL 33431

800-613-8380 PH 561-393-7622 Fax


www.OASISAgent.com

OutsideAgents.com

8030 Phillips Highway, Suite 13

Jacksonville, FL 32256

(904) 739-2224 • (866) 208-5604


www.outsideagents.com

Stevens Travel Management

119 West 40th Street, 14th Floor

New York, NY 10018

(800) 275-7400 • Fax: (212) 696-0591


www.stevenstravel.com

Travel Planners International

2500 Maitland Center Parkway,

Suite 230

Maitland, FL 32751-4174

(800) 730-6392 • (321) 422-7738


www.TravelAgentFromHome.com

Travel Quest

6597 Laketowne Place, Ste. A

Albertville, MN 55301

(800) 392-6484 • Fax: (815) 572-0113


www.tqagents.com

Trip Professionals

400 N.Commerce Parkway, Suite 105

Weston, FL 33326

(877) TRIP-PRO • (954) 714-3260

Fax: (954) 733-5424


www.tripprofessionals.com

UNIGLOBE

1199 West Pender Street, Suite 900

Vancouver, BC, V6E 2R1

CANADA

(604) 718-2600


www.uniglobetravel.com

Wyllys Professional Travel

132 Aragon Ave.

Coral Gables, Fl 33134

(305) 442-2008 • (800) 3WYLLYS

Fax: (305) 441-0945


www.wyllystravel.com

YourNameTravel.com

(ToGoAway Travel Network)

825 West Jackson Plaza

Morton, IL 61550

(800) 207-8383 • (309) 266-8000

Fax: (309) 266-8384


www.YourNameTravel.com

20

If you are a host ag encies and not on this list please E-mail [email protected]


Home-Based Travel AgentsBenefit From PersonalNetworking

S H O W C A S E

“Networking” was the theme at the UNIGLOBE TravelCenter Above and Beyond Conference held from April7-9 in Newport Beach, California.

UTC, the host agency division of UNIGLOBE Travel USA,brought together 160 delegates, including home-basedand independent agencies and supplier partners, to dis-cuss challenges and opportunities for independent travelprofessionals and offer networking support to a growingnumber of independent agencies across America.

ASTA’s 2010 NACTA Independent Agents Report foundthat 57 percent of independent travel professionals sawincreased business in 2010 despite the lingering effectsof the recession. “Home-based travel agents faceunique business challenges, such as achieving work-lifebalance, sourcing affordable marketing and databasetools and tapping into preferred supplier relationships,”says UTC Vice President Betsy Geiser.

UTC invited leading industry suppliers to talk aboutproducts with delegates in depth during roundtablesessions and a trade show, including NorwegianCruise Lines, Globus Family of Brands, Amadeus, RBCU.S. Insurance Services, Carnival Cruise Lines andwww.Vacation.com

Top-tier suppliers enjoyed the chance to interact withindependent agents. “What a great group of people,”says Drew Santiago, Carnival Cruise Lines businessdevelopment manager. “Agents were very focused,eager to learn, proud to be a part of Uniglobe and verysupportive of the suppliers that attended the event,”

adds Jared Braunstein, vice president of strategicaccounts and initiatives for www.Vacation.com

UTC honored agents with achievement awards for pro-ductivity and support for preferred suppliers, as wellas recognized million dollar plus producers. UTCPreferred Supplier of the Year award went to TravelImpressions for its service and support.

Blanca Aguilar is a travel industry veteran and owner ofindependent agency Aviva Travel in Chula Vista,California. She recently joined the UTC host agency pro-gram. “Talking to long time members, they shared theirexperiences and gave us tons of advice. I was amazedat the success of many, working more efficiently andenjoying travel opportunities. We are not young anymore,but we sure felt a return to the glamour of our industry thathas given us so many opportunities to travel the world.”

About UNIGLOBE Travel CenterUniglobe Travel Center (UTC), the host agency divi-sion of Uniglobe Travel (USA) LLC, is a fullyappointed ARC/CLIA/IATA hosting facility, based inIrvine, California. UTC provides marketing, network-ing and technology support to home-based leisureand business travel professionals and independentagencies nationwide. Parent company UniglobeTravel International Limited Partnership is an inter-national travel franchise brand with independentlyowned and operated locations and Global Partnersin more than 50 countries.For more information on Uniglobe Travel Center'sHosting Programs please contact: Betsy Geiser800-863-1606 E-mail [email protected] visit our website at www.uniglobetravelcenter.com

To learn more, visit www.CruisingPower.com/MoreSuccessor www.RoyalCaribbean.com/RoyalAdvantage

BEST CRUISE LINE OVERALL for eight consecutive years Travel Weekly 2010 Readers’ Choice Awards

#1

BEST CRUISE LINE for seven consecutive yearsCanadian Travel Press 2010 Agent’s Choice Award

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BEST CRUISE SHIPS OF 2011: ALLURE OF THE SEAS®

Frommers Best Ships 2011

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BEST FOR FAMILIESCruise Critic2010 Editors’ Picks Awards Winner

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BEST NEW SHIP: OASIS OF THE SEAS® Cruise Critic2010 Editors’ Picks Awards Winner

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How did we arrive here? By consistently pushing the limits of what’s possible at sea to deliver the vacation of a lifetime. We call this commitment the Royal Advantage – our drive to provide the best, most innovative ships, features, destinations and personalized service to our guests. So when a client wants to know why you’re recommending Royal Caribbean, you’ll never be at a loss for words.

©2011 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. Ships registry: The Bahamas. 11023664 • 4/28/2011

JUST IN CASE YOU NEED MORE GOOD REASONS TO RECOMMEND US TO YOUR CLIENTS.

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Travel Agent Professional May 2011

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